#southern romance

[miyuhpapayuh]

lovers and friends.

Sitting at the square bar top table inside of Flavor, the trio sit and await the arrival of Mya’s very unaware date.

“Are you nervous?” Taylor asks Mya, who’s been smoothing her clammy hands over her dress for the last fifteen minutes.

“Huh?”

Mercedes squints in her direction, making Taylor laugh. “If you can “huh”, you can hear. Relax, girl!”

“I’m relaxed! I just need y’all to be nice.”

“I’m always nice. It’s that one,” Taylor points her manicured finger across the table, “that you have to watch.”

“I don’t need to be watched, you peasant.” She rolls her eyes.

“Anywho. You might not oblige, but I would like to talk to your friend, alone.” Mercedes says, watching the slight horror come across Mya’s face.

“I don’t know, cedes…”

“Listen, before you start! I just wanna talk to him. I won’t interrogate, per say. Just some friendly badgering if you will!”

Face palming, she reluctantly agrees. “Okay. Just let me warn him, first.” She pulls out her phone to text him.

“Oh my gosh, am I that bad?”

Taylor and Mya give her the same look, answering her question.

“Fair enough.” She shrugs.

“He’s coming in, now.  Please be nice, y’all.” Mya pleads. Her nerves begin to get the best of her.

Her eyes wander around the crowd in search of him.

“Aw, look at ‘er, searching for her boo!” Mercedes pokes fun.

Rolling her eyes, they land on him and all his glory.

“There he is.” She smiles as he looks in her direction, making his way over to their table.

“Hello, ladies.” He greets, holding three pink roses in his hand. “I thought it’d be rude to come empty handed.”

“Ugh! How sweet is that!” Taylor takes a rose from his hand. “I like you, already. I’m Taylor.”

Mercedes smirks, taking hers. “Yes, very sweet of you, Isaiah.”

He chuckles. “Ah, you must be the infamous Mercedes.”

“The one and only.” She flips her hair over her shoulder. Mya laughs, shaking her head.

“It’s nice to finally meet the both of you.” He says, turning his attention towards his flushed faced beauty of a date.

“You look beautiful.” He compliments as she grabs the last rose from his hand.

“Thank you, handsome.” She kisses his cheek. “I’ll let you two,” she looks between him and Mercedes, “get to talkin’. We’ll be at the bar.”

“She acts like I’m gonna chew you up.” She starts laughing.

“And, spit his ass out!” Taylor jokes.

“Right! Don’t act like we don’t know you, cedes. Behave.” Mya gives her a death glare.

“I will! Jesus.”

Isaiah looks between the three of them, amused.

“Y’all are funny.”

“Yeah, you should stick around for when the laughter stops.” Mya sighs. “Anywho, we’ll be over there.”

“Holler if you need saving.” Taylor continues, before dragging Mya towards the bar.

“Make yourself comfortable, I don’t bite… I fight.” She smiles. He snorts and sits across from her.

“I respect it.”

“That’s so good to hear. Now, tell me.. what drew you to my best friend, besides the fact that she is as pretty as she is?” She tilts her head.

Squinting at her, he chuckles. “Using my own words against me. Clever.”

“Not as clever as you. Nice game, I’ll admit.”

“Thank you, thank you.” He graciously clasps his hands together.

“Anyhow.. she’s very intellectual, for starters. She’s got a bunch of what she calls “useless facts” in her head that she likes to share. They’re not as useless as she thinks, though.”

“I’ve told her that a thousand times.” She adds.

“Don’t tell her this, but I’ve taken a couple of those and put ‘em to use.” They share a laugh.

“Really?”

“Yeah!” He grows excited. “She was peeling an orange one day, while informing me that a red bell pepper’s got three times more vitamin C than it. I went to go see my sister and I had to share the info, even though she didn’t really care.”

“See, that one I had no idea about. Makes you almost wonder.. what’s the point of the orange, then?”

“Exactly. They might as well start juicing the peppers.” He jokes, making her laugh, once more.

“Are they.. laughing??” Mya asks, having not taken her eyes off them since she sat down.

“How can you tell? We’re like ten feet away.” Taylor says, knocking back a shot of brandy.

“Her shoulders bounced! I saw that.” She smirks. “I knew he’d crack her.”

“What else do you like about her?” Mercedes asks.

“She’s sweet.” He says, to which she starts laughing.

“You just wait until she gets more comfortable around you. That girl’s attitude is something fiery. Other than that, yes she’s sweeter than taffy.”

“Good to know.” He nods. “Think I’ll stay on her good side.”

“I might not have to beat the brakes off you, Isaiah. We’ll keep the option on the table if need be, though.” She half-jokes, holding out her hand for him to shake.

He obliges. “Thank you. You’re not as bad as Mya made you out to be.”

“Ugh, she’s so dramatic! I only do what I do to protect my girls. They’re everything to me and I won’t let them get hurt.” She stresses, feeling her throat dry up a little.

“I’d never hurt her. She’s far too special to me, already.”

“Good. I can see you bein’ around for a while.”

“I hope so.”

Turning in her friends’ direction, she motions them back over towards the table.

“Looks like it was a lovely conversation to me.” Taylor pokes Mya’s side as she sits down beside Mercedes at the table.

“It was, you heffas.” She rolls her eyes.

“I didn’t even say anything! I already caught you laughing from the bar. That was enough for me.” Mya replies, sitting next to Isaiah. His arm instinctively wraps around her waist.

“I must be the ice witch or something!”

“Well, no you’re not. None of our boyfriends have ever made you laugh, before.” Taylor says.

“They weren’t funny.” Mercedes says to Isaiah, making him chuckle.

“Must not’ve been.”

“This is a sight to see!” Mya clasps her hands together.

“As much as I love being attacked, I need a drink. Taylor, come with me, please.”

“Looks like I’m headed back to the bar!” She sings-songs, as they head on over.

Leaving the two alone, they turn their attention to each other.

“Did I already tell you how beautiful you look?” He asks.

“You might’ve mentioned it, yeah,” she giggles.

“A couple more times wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

“Not from somebody as fine as you.” She leans in to kiss him.

“Mm, that’s how we’re feelin’, this evening?”

“We, huh?”

“You like the sound of it too, huh?”

“Full of jokes, today. C’mere.” She presses her lips back to his for another quick kiss. 

Pulling away, she leans on his shoulder. Her eyes linger on his handsome face.

“You alright?”

“I may have had a shot or two at the bar.” She shrugs, trying to keep her laughter at bay.

“You might be the only person that I know, who ignores the fact that liquor can wipe them out.” He laughs, shaking his head.

“We’re here for a good time, not a long time.”

“Agreed.” He flagged down a waitress and ordered a shot of whiskey.

“There you go!”

“You’re a bad influence.” He teases.

“A little drink ain’t never hurt nobody. I could always do worse.”

“That’s very true.”

“I’ve got another useless fact for you.” She announces after a while.

His ears perk up. “Lay it on me.”

“You can get high off nutmeg if you consume too much of it.”

His brows scrunch up, before he nods. “Where’d you hear that one from?”

“My sister.” She laughs. “She’s also mad that she hasn’t met you, yet.”

“As is my sister. Don’t be offended, but my brother’s always been kinda to himself. He did say you were pretty.”

“That’s sweet. You and your sister are close, I assume?”

“You’d be correct. She’s always been there for me. Pain in my neck, but I love’er.”

What’s it like to be loved by such a man?

“You and your sister are close too, yeah?” He asks, as his drink comes to the table.

“Two peas in a pod, yeah. She’s always been my protector in a kind of way. I used to think she was smothering me, but she saved me from a lot.”

“Big sisters for the win.” He smiles.

“Go them!” She pumps her fist in the air making him laugh.

“No more drinks for you!”

“Aw, I was just getting started!” She whines, half joking.

The group had eventually found their way towards the dance floor, as Flavor jumped to the beat of Touching by V. Cartier.

Mercedes finds herself in between a very fine man and Taylor, keeping her close, as Mya and Isaiah stand a short distance away, getting a little closer than they’ve been around the two.

“You smell good.” He compliments, his chin in the crook of her neck as they sway to the sultry beat.

She giggles at the slight slur in his words. “That’s what three shots do to you, huh Mr. Lightweight?”

“Ain’t none but a lil slur. I still got my balance.”

“Aight, if you trip, I’m getting Mercedes to record everything!” She laughs.

Chuckling, he holds her closer. “You’d do me like that??”

“Nah, I’m just playing. I’d still laugh, though.”

“That’s cold, babe.”

Her brows raise at the name. Her cheeks flush red and her friends are witnessing every minute of it, soaking it up.

“They really are so stinkin’ cute.” Mercedes comments in Taylor’s ear, who agrees right away.

“I’m calling it. That’s her man.”

A quick laugh leaves her lips. “They’ve only been dating for about two months? I think they need a little more time, no?”

“Says the girl that started dating another man, less than two weeks after ol weeny showed his ass.” Taylor quips.

“We’re talking about Mya, not me.”

“Mercedes, you like him for her, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then, relax mama. She’s in good hands. Good, strong hands.” They share a laugh.

“Okay, okay.”

After another round of shots, the group decided to call it a successful night.

“I’m glad everyone had a great time, we should do it again!” Mya says, linking her arm with Isaiah's as they walk Mercedes and Taylor to her car.

“Definitely.”

“Let me pick the spot, next time!” Taylor offers.

“Don’t have us around a bunch of stuck up white people, Tay.” Mercedes says, unlocking her car as they hug each other.

Mya snickers.

“As funny as that was,” she rolls her eyes, “I don’t even hang out in spots like that. I be with y’all!”

“She’s got a point, cedes.”

“Anywho, we won’t hold y’all up no longer. It was nice to meet you, Isaiah. Take care of our girl.”

“You ladies, too. And don’t worry, I got her. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight!” They say in unison, before getting inside the car. The pair begin heading back in the opposite direction.

The soft breeze blows through her curls, cooling her off from the warm liquor that’s running through her veins.

“Enjoy yourself?” She asks, as they make it to his truck.

“Always. I’m glad you invited me out.” He says, helping her inside, before hopping inside, himself.

“Of course. My friends really wanted to meet you and I was dying to see how this played out.” she giggles. “I’m glad it went the way I’d hoped.”

“Me too. You had me a little scared, I won’t lie.” He admits, pulling out of the parking lot.

“I did warn you! But, y’all hit it off!”

“She’s a good friend. I can tell you mean a lot to her. Both of them.” He says, making her smile.

“Those are my girls.” She softly says.

“Where to? Home?”

“Hm.. not yet. I think we’ve got one more stop to make.”

Sitting across from each other in their favorite ice cream shoppe, the pair share another double scoop of vanilla.

“You love your ice cream, huh?”

“Mmhm!” She agrees, excitedly.

How does it feel to be loved by such a woman?

“You feelin’ better, these days?” She asks in regards to the conversation they’d previously had about his father.

He sighs. “Yeah, I’m cool. Still don’t know how to really feel, but I’m cool.”

She decides not to pry any further. Instead, she sits her hand on top of his, softly squeezing.

He looks at her, a small smile on his lips. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.☆:☆: .☽ .☆: .☽ · 。ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆

Back at work, Mya and Savannah play catch up before her shift begins. The two stand in her office with their morning coffee as her boss almost loses her mind at the news.

“Why didn’t you tell me??”

“I wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming!” Mya laughs.

Savannah laughs, patting her shoulder. “I can’t blame you, but I did tell you that he was sweet on you!”

“You did.” She agrees, putting her coffee back up to her lips.

“How long has it been?”

“A little over a month since we’ve been dating. It’s nice. Really nice.”

“Just let me know when the wedding is.” She jokes, before handing her a pink folder with the word projects on the front.

“This is for your ideas, as well as the actual plans that you’ve been talking to me about for quite some time. I’ve given a particular one some thought..”

“Which one?” Mya asks.

“Oh, you know… remodeling the place doesn’t sound like a bad idea, after all. We’ve got the contractors for it and your ideas were very, very nice.”

“Savannah, don’t play with me!” She squeals, making her boss laugh.

“After the way you kept hounding me about taking you and your work more seriously, as if I never did, shame on you.” She pauses to playfully slap Mya’s hand. “I decided to take you up on all of your offers.”

“Indeed, you have! I don’t even know what to say!”

“Say you'll take it from here.”

Mya flips her curls over her shoulder. “I’ll take it from here.”

“That’s my girl!”

“Well, I guess I better start on this.” She says, before heading out.

“I can’t wait to see what you come up with.” She calls out.

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“See,” Isaiah exclaims, “I knew you had some wicked cool ideas in that head of yours.”

They sit across from each other, sharing her binder that she’d been filling up, ever since the morning.

“That’s one of my favorites, too!”

After having lunch together like always, the pair headed back to her office, after she’d shared the news about a possible remodeling of the building.

“I like the thought of tinted glass windows. That might be cool.”

“Right? It’s so simple, but it’s so cool, at the same time!”

“I’m glad you’re excited about it.” He teases, making her laugh.

“I’ve been waiting for this day to come. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love how Abstraction looks. It’s cute! I’ve just always felt like it was missing something.” She explains.

“What’s missing?”

“Pizazz.” She deadpans.

Her expression is what took him out, even receiving a single clap. She took note of the way his shoulders bounced as she laughed along.

“Oh, you should’ve seen your face.” He chuckles. “But, that’s understandable. It’s not as colorful as you think it should be?”

“It’s fine, honestly. I don’t like things too bright, myself. But, it’s just old. We need something that’ll stay timeless. Something sleek, maybe? Bolder. Maybe, that's the right word. That’s why I’ve got all these ideas. I’m trying to figure it out.”

“Well, if you need any help, Jane’s also got an eye for design. That’s if you’re cool with that.”

She smiles. “Of course. Your friends are my friends.”

“As yours are mine.” They lean in for a kiss.

“I’m glad you shared the news with me.” A smile graced her lips, before she plants them back on his.

“You were the first person I told, actually.”

His brows raise, making her laugh.

“Isaiah, please.”

“So, I’m special? Is that what that means?” He asks.

“Yes.That’s what that means.”

He nods, before leaning back in to kiss her. His hand slides up her arm to cup her cheek, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind.

He pulls away as they begin to get lost in the kiss, making her frown, yet regain her composure.

“What are you doing after work?” He asks, standing from his chair.

“Mercedes invited Taylor and I to go see her boo perform at the poetry club. I’m not really in the mood to go out, but I promised her I’d support,” she shrugs. “You wanna come with me?”

“Will it get the frown off your face, if I say yes?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay. I’ll go with you.”

Like clockwork, her pout turned into a smile.

“There she is.”

“Get out.” She laughs.

“What time am I picking you up?” He asks.

“I was actually gonna come and get you. You know.. since I invited you out, I thought I’d take it off your hands tonight.”

“Oh, alright. What time should I be ready, ma’am?”

“Six thirty, sharp. Sir.”

“Six thirty-one, got it.”

“Isaiah.”

“I kid, I kid.” He blows her a kiss, before heading out.

Sliding her binder back towards her, she jots down a couple more ideas, before closing it up.

A knock sounds at the door. She gets up to pull it open, revealing none other than Jane.

“Hey, Jane.”

Their smiles mirror.

“Hey, Mya. How’s it going?”

“It’s going great! Come on in.”

“Wow, I think your office might be cooler than mine, girl!” She compliments, looking around.

“I try to spruce it up in here a bit, you know?”

“Indeed.” She sits across from Mya. “So, I heard you’ve got a project underway.”

“Mmhm, I also heard that you have an eye for design.”

“Would you look at that,” she laughs, “looks like I came knockin’ on the right door.”

“That, you did.” Mya joins in on the laughter, shaking her head. “Isaiah works fast, doesn’t he?”

“Not usually. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him work this hard.” She says, making Mya’s cheeks flush red.

“Well,” she clears her throat, “there’s a first time for everything, right?”

“Indeed. He really really likes you.” Jane stresses.

“I really really like him, too.”

Quickly changing the subject before her cheeks burn any more, she reopens her binder.

“Okay, so I’m in the process of remodeling this place, and a girl could use all the help she can get.” She starts.

“Wow, that’s huge, Mya! Also, I’d love to help you!”

“Thank you, I appreciate it. Let me show you what I’ve got so far!” She excitedly flips through her pages, landing on one of her other favorite ideas.

“What if we take a more colorful approach? Change the dull blues and yellows to a splash of orange and pink, maybe? Sleeker lines and more modern furniture.”

“I like it! What would the individual offices look like?”

“The default color could be olive green or if anybody wanted a custom color, I’d be open to it… maybe even some prints, Ms. Cheetah lover.” She points out.

“I’m a dead giveaway, seriously.” She laughs. And it was true. Her earrings, as well as the fur lining of her blue jean jacket was cheetah print.

“It’s cute! Cheetah’s always in, especially with fall being right around the corner!”

“That’s true. So, when does this start?”

“I’m not sure, yet. We’ve got the seminar in November, which isn’t too far away. I guess I’d start after that.”

“Oh yeah, the seminar.” She smiles. “Isaiah’s going to the Gold ball. I’m so excited for him.”

“Yeah, me too. He deserves it.”

“You’re going too, right??”

“I am! I’m still in shock over it, though.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, honestly. I guess, I second guess myself. I just don’t always see the potential that other people see.” She admits.

“That’s understandable. It can be kinda tense, sometimes. You ever feel like people put pressure on you to be the best?”

“Yeah! But, I feel as if it's second nature to some. Like, they don’t mean any harm, but they leave you feeling anxious as hell, anyway?”

“Girl, you just explained my life. That’s why I just do my job and go home.”

“See, and that’s exactly why we need a revamping of sorts! I want this to be more than just a job. I want it to be somewhere that we love to be. A place where we can create and share. Where we can grow. This company deserves that. Savannah deserves that.”

“She couldn’t have picked a better person for the job. If nobody else tells you this, I will. You deserve to be in this place.”

“Thank you. That really means a lot. You deserve to be here, too!”

“Thanks!”

They share a laugh.

“Hey, we should hang out sometime.”

“I would love that.”

They exchange numbers, before Jane heads for the door.

“Well, I’m glad I stopped by. Isaiah said he’d kick my ass if I didn’t come and say hi, like we’re not cool.” She rolls her eyes. “Boys.”

“Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em, I guess.” Mya laughs.

“I suppose. I think I’ll be fine, honestly.” She snorts. “Anywho. You have a good evening, Mya. I’ll see you around.”

“You too, Jane. Thanks, again.” She salutes, before letting herself out and closing the door behind herself.

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Mya and Gina sit at her kitchen table after she'd returned home, as she’d just shared the news with her sister.

“That’s huge, girl! I’m so proud of you!” Her sister exclaims.

“Thanks! I’ve been getting that all day.”

“Duh, as you should. What did ma say?”

“She thought it would’ve happened sooner, of course. She’s even come up there and told Savannah how much a revamp would boost her company and I guess she finally listened to her.” She shrugs.

“That woman never stops.” She shakes her head.

“No. No she doesn’t.” She laughs.

“What about your boo?” The way she emphasized the last word made Mya’s cheeks heat up for the thousandth time today.

“Ugh,” she presses her fingers against her temples. “He’s very proud of me. He was the first person I told, actually.”

“Wha— you didn’t tell Mercedes first?? Ooooooh!” Gina starts cracking up.

“Gina, stop! You know that girl would have my head if she knew that. I didn’t mean it, I just kinda blurted it, cause he’s so pretty and I love when he’s happy for me.” She rambles.

“Girl, you sound like you’re in love.”

Mya’s brows scrunch up. “That’s a little extreme, no?”

“I mean, it’s not usually your style, but this isn’t just casual dating for you. You really like this man.”

She shamelessly agrees. “I do. I really do. But, it’s okay, this time. He likes me, just as much! If not more.” She giggles.

“And, Mercedes likes him!! He must be quite the charmer, cause that lil devil don’t like nobody.” They laugh.

“That’s what I told him! She surprised the hell out of me, when I saw them choppin’ it up. I knew he’d crack her though.”

“Why?”

“Cause he’s real. He’s calculated, but not in a conniving way. He’s so sweet, he’d make you blush, just by being himself. Such a dork.” She snorts.

Yup, definitely in love.

“So, when do I get to meet him?”

“When do you want to meet him?”

“Now.”

“Gina, it’s almost seven thirty on a Monday night. I know we were already hanging out tonight, but you don’t think that’s a little short notice?” Mya asks.

“Hm… yeah, I suppose. Well how about tomorrow?”

“After my meeting, yeah. That should work!” Mya agrees, quickly texting Isaiah.

“And he said that works for him, too!”

“Guess I'm meeting the beau, tomorrow!” Gina cheeses.

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And surely after her meeting, the pair met her older sister at Panera for lunch.

“Wow, you're much cuter than she described,” Gina blurts, shaking his firm hand.

He smiles, holding out Mya’s chair as they get seated.

“Thank you, thank you. It's nice to finally meet you.”

“Oh, we've all been dying to meet her knight in shining armor!”

“Gina,” her younger sister playfully warns.

“What??”

“Knight in shining armor, huh?” He chuckles, wrapping an arm around the back of her chair.

“That might've been what I said,” she playfully rolls her eyes, looking away from him as soon as he looks in her direction, giggling to herself.

“A sight,” Gina shakes her head, smiling at her sister.

“So, what do you do at Abstraction?”

“I’m one of the executive web developers. Photoshop is where I reside, most of the day.”

“Ah, that’s gotta be cool!”

“Yeah, most days. Sometimes, it can be a pain in the ass. It’s a very tedious process, depending on what part of the website I’m tryna pick apart or what I’m trying to create.”

“Ooh, so you’ll be helping Mya lay out the revamping on the website? Or have you guys talked about that yet?”

“We haven’t talked about it yet, no. But, it sounds like a good way to get your name out there!” Mya adds.

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna impose on her project. I know how much she loves those.”

“This is true, but I’d love for you to be a part.”

“Whew. For a second, I thought I said too much.” Gina laughs.

“Girl. Anyway.”

“Yeah, yeah. So Isaiah, how long have you and my sister been dating?”

“It’s been about a month and some change, yeah?” He looks to Mya, who nods.

“How cute! You seem like a nice man.”

“Anything for her.” He smiles.

“We love to hear that!”

“Mmhm,” Mya agrees, taking another bite of her sandwich.

Gina’s phone begins to ring. She looks down at it and sighs. “I’ve gotta take this. I’ll be right back.”

Excising herself, the two are left alone.

“She don't play about you, either,” he says, making her giggle.

“Not one bit! She'd probably get you before Mercedes.”

“No worries, I'm on my best behavior for you,” he promises, leaning to kiss her cheek, repeatedly.

“Cut it out!” she laughs and covers the side of her face, fanning the heat away from her cheeks.

“Hey y’all, it looks like I’ve gotta head out.” Gina comes back to the table.

“Sorry our time got cut short, but this was great! I’m sure I’ll be seeing more of you.” She smiles, mirroring the couple’s like expression.

“Yes you will.” He answers, matter-of-factly.

“Thank you for lunch, sis.” Mya says, standing to hug her sister before she heads back to her office.

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Ending their evening together like usual, the pair are winding down inside of Mya's home.

She finds Isaiah on her couch, flipping through her channels. She joins him, laying her feet in his lap.

“Is this what I look like when I come over?” She questions.

“Hell yeah. You kick your feet up and everything. I won’t do that, though. Coffee table’s too nice.”

“Mm, saved by the bell.”

“Saved by the bell!” He nods. “That used to be my show, man. Poor Slater.” He frowns, making her do the same.

“Yeah, Lisa was pretty bad off, too.”

“It sucks how life does people. You’re either at the top or at the bottom.” He shakes his head.

“Or you’re stuck in the middle.” She adds.

“True. Very true…” he continues to flip through, before landing on Living Single reruns.

“Oh look. It’s our show.” She claps.

He smiles as he sits the remote down, his  left arm finding the back of the couch.

“Our, huh?” He asks.

“You like the sound of it too, huh?”

“Indeed. C’mere.”

She scoots closer to him, naturally relaxing as he wraps his arm around her. He kisses her forehead, making her swoon even more.

[sometimesenough]

When he calls you "little girl" in that deep, southern drawl.

[neverendingbookbasket]

Review Post: Where The Light Shines by Kathryn Andrews

Where The Light Shines Kathryn Andrews One Click: https://amzn.to/43OgvUo *About The Book* With a broken heart and a desperate need to hide from the spotlight, Chicago socialite Rylie Crest flees to a small town on the west coast of Florida to start over. Set on a winding crystal-clear river, under the tall pines and aging oaks, she buys an old abandoned home with hopes to restore it, only to…

[renonv]

okay but like the way you draw him and write him, roma has kind of perfect dad energy so now I'm picturing an au where he adopts a broke college student or smth lmao

ANONNN YOU DOG YOU POSSESSED ME and for the past few days I’ve been thinking and rotating this in my head… Romano adopting a broke college student au…. WORD VOMIT AHEAD HELP:

An 18 year old Elise who just lost everything as soon as she arrived in Rome, is about to give up and somehow go home, only to have her life change as a 30 something year old Romano tripped over her while taking out trash from the family restaurant he co-runs with his brother (who lately has been too busy w his personal life to truly help him!!).

After, Romano offers Elise to stay in Feliciano’s old room, and a job as a server at the restaurant. She happily agrees to stay until she gets back up on her feet.

The only thing is… Elise is not broke 😭 at this moment of time, yes she is, but she’s actually a recent runaway… she comes from a very wealthy Swiss family that only consists of her loving, yet overly protective brother. She wanted to experience life, and in order to do so, she had to run away because asking Basch didn’t work out 🤼‍♂️ many times

So now Elise’s adventure truly begins as she finally gets to live out a normal life, working her first job, making friends, and learning important life lessons from her new dad Mr. Romano (as he also learns a few new things from her as well 🫵)

Oh, and the entire time she’s in Rome, she unknowingly has to avoid being found by a team of private investigators that her Brother hired to find her (they are doing a shit job) ((having her phone stolen really saved her)).

[pstelwitchcraft]

You wanna know what's crazy? Now knowing that Laura and Marisha didn't plan to be romantic this campaign at all, it is INSANE that everything went so perfectly, thematically, exactly the way it did.

The series of events from the rock breaking, Dusk showing up RIGHT as it was happening, to them making up just so Otohan could show up and kill Laudna not a DAY later literally because she wanted to get on Imogen's nerves ("Is she your favorite?"). And then Imogen obliterating Delilah with her own fucking hands for Laudna. Getting the circlet. Laudna holding Imogen on the ship they were about to crash having that Tether Talk^tm just before they were separated ONCE AGAIN.

Just the entire escalation that led to them meeting in Jrusar that day and Imogen blurting out "Can I kiss you?" in the mfing BREAD ISLE because she couldn't hold back her feelings is BONKERS.

Even down to Imogen saying she "thought dates were supposed to have sparks" after their date with pretty and telling Laudna she "has the biggest spark she's ever seen" a long ass time later in Bassuras.

The evolution of their feelings for each other, the tension that was building on that table every time they talked to each other. The fact that it all happened serendipitously with absolutely no previous plan and it went just the way it did? Immaculate. Showstopping. Absolutely astounding. If Marisha, Matt and Laura had sat down and planned this whole thing from the beginning it still couldn't have gone more perfectly.

[deityofhearts]

I’m gonna say it. more fantasy and supernatural characters should be southern

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Pavel Aleksandrovich Svedomsky (Russian, 1848-1904) A kiss, n.d.

[nellasbookplanet]

I know this is old hat to just about everyone, but I'm more and more enjoying Imogen and Laudna as not just a mirror of the Briarwoods but also, and perhaps even more so, as a foil.

Laudna may be the death magic goth with a necromancer in her head, but out of the two of them, Imogen is the stronger mirror of Delilah. She’s the one with the undead lover, the one prepared to break the world by risking Delilah's return as long as it got her Laudna back, the one with the drive and the thirst for power and knowledge. Laudna meanwhile, while also tempted by power, is mostly just along for the ride, deeply devoted to Imogen over anything or anyone, alive only because Imogen found a way to resurrect her. They have looked each other in the eye, recognised the same seeds of darkness and the possibility of giving in, and said 'Together either way'.

But they are also in many ways a direct subversion of the Briarwoods. Delilah and Sylas both seemed perfectly happy to have made a pact with Vecna and revelled in the power he granted them, even knowing the disaster he would bring and the horrific acts he asked of them. Imogen and Laudna meanwhile, while tempted by power and openly voicing said temptation to each other, actively fight against it. Imogen was prepared to risk Delilah's return for the sake of Laudna's resurrection, but she would've fought her every step of the way. She's tempted by the power and knowledge of Ruidus, but also prepared to give all of it up if it means saving the world, because unlike Delilah she chooses to care about people other than herself and her lover. Laudna may be prepared to follow Imogen into hell itself, but she may also be what would lead her back out, because unlike Sylas she doesn’t just recognise darkness in her lover, she wants to fight it alongside her.

This is what I mean when I say these two hold the potential for great darkness. They wouldn’t function as a mirror and a foil of the most romantically iconic critical role villain duo if they didn't. But holding the potential for darkness and corruption also means holding the potential to resist and fight said darkness at every turn. It gives them the potential to choose kindness and struggle while still keeping a little bit of that darkness in their hearts, because without it, they never would have found each other.

[belle-keys]

“People who cease to believe in God or goodness altogether still believe in the devil... Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.”

– Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice (1976)

[carm3n-carm3n]

𐬿 ✥ 𐬾

[vanalex]

[namedvesta]

Roberto Ferri, Il Sepolcro Degli Amanti (𝟤𝟢𝟣𝟦)

[itwasntaphase]

I may not be catholic but I will say their aesthetic slaps

[theprinceandthewitch]

Elizabeth Ehasz is honestly such a huge inspiration when it comes to honing my pettiness skills... I am so serious when I say this btw LOL.

The Southern Raiders is in my opinion the pinnacle of pettiness, which is one of the reasons why it's such an amazing episode - I love how she found a way to work around the weird holier than thou preachiness shit Aang was on in this episode.

Not only did she give Katara closure that was respectful to her character she also solidified Zuko as the better romantic partner than Aang. This is the other reason why The Southern Raiders is such a good episode. No, I won't go into an in depth explanation because this has been talked about to death already.

Basically, Elizabeth bestie KNOWS what women/girls want to see in a romance story.

[miyuhpapayuh]

butterflies.

After their close friends and family received the news about them being invited to the most anticipated event of the creative world, Mya, Isaiah and the rest of the group began planning for their awaited, highly anticipated trip.

The pair have also gotten closer over the last couple of weeks. Going out to dinner after work, drinks on the weekend, and her new favorite, sharing ice cream at Maggie's diner.

“Ooh!” 

Currently sifting through the dresses that her mama had sent her, she lands on a red hot number with a slit up the thigh.

“I don’t know what event mama thinks I’m goin’ to, but…” she trails off, laughing to herself.

Pulling it off the hanger, she lays it across her bed and begins to tug at the bottom of her shirt when her music abruptly cuts off, followed by the ringing of her phone.

Peering over at it on her dresser, she smiles. “Oh, boy.”

Answering the call, she watches his handsome face come into view. His wide smile showcases itself, almost mirroring hers.

“I’m starting to think you’re watching me,” she jokes, keeping the top of her head in view as she reaches for the dress.

“Why?” he asks.

“Because you always call me when I’m in the middle of something,” she laughs.

“What’s so important, this time?” he mocks as she laughs.

“My mom sent me a bunch of dresses to try on for this damn ball, and I’m about to lose my mind, because I can’t decide on one,”  she sighs.

“You need some help decidin’?” he asks, his chin in his palm as he stares at the partial view of her face and the ceiling.

“Uh…sure! Give me a second.” She moves away from the camera and begins to pull her shirt over her head, grabbing the dress and sliding into it.

“You cut my favorite song off this time. I just want you to know”, she grumbles, fidgeting with the dress.

“And what song was that?”

“I Think About Lovin’ You by Earth, Wind and Fire.”

“Hm. Don’t think I’ve ever heard it.”

“No worries. We’ll fix that,” she says, before picking her phone up from the dresser.

“Okay, you’ve fattened me up over the past couple of weeks, so don’t be too harsh.”

He chuckles. “I would never do such a thing.”

“Okay,” sitting it back down in an upright position, she pulls her hair away from her face and poses, “how do I look?”

“Wow,” his eyes wander over her curves, committing them to memory..

“You look so good.”

Her brows raise, the butterflies in her stomach doing somersaults.

“Really?”

“Absolutely,” he nods enthusiastically, making her cheese wide.

“Can I get a spin?” He asks, poking his lip out.

“I'll oblige you, this time.” She winks, taking her time twirling like a doll on display, giggling at his whistles.

“Damn girl,” he shakes his head.

“Alright, alright, let me go try on another one!” She says, moving out of frame to silently squeal and slip into another dress.

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After an hour and a half of making the object of her affection blush, Mya decides to have lunch with her mother at their favorite spot, Shoney’s.

As the chimes on the door ring, her mother looks up from her coffee and motions her over.

“Hey, baby.” She greets her daughter with a kiss on the cheek as she files into the booth seat, removing her jacket.

“Hey, ma. Man, it’s chilly out there today.”

“That’s why I texted you about a jacket even though you swear you don’t get cold.”

“Well, if I tell you that you’re right about me being cold, you’ll just gloat about it until you die so, no. I’m not cold.” She blinks.

“You are your father’s child.”

“That’s what the birth certificate says, yes.”

“Anyways, I brought you here to talk about all of your success, thus far. I’m very proud of you. How do you feel?”

A genuine smile spreads across her lips.

“Thank you! I’m so happy, honestly. I knew Savannah believed in me, but I won’t lie and say that I knew this was coming!”

“The Gold Ball is definitely a once in a lifetime experience, but you deserve it! You’ve been working hard for the past three years at Abstraction. It’s about time that your hard work paid off.” Her mother stresses.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that a couple of times. I believe it, I’m just still processing it all.”

“Well, good. Now, do I get to hear about this boy that’s got you all giggly, yet?”

 Mya sighs, knowing it was coming.

“All of a sudden, I’m hungry. I’ll be right back.” She gets up from the table and heads towards the buffet line to fill her empty stomach.

With her mother being the relentless soul that god put her on earth to be, she heads over and behind making her own plate, all the while poking for information.

“Oh, come on! I’ve been patient with you, Nicole.”

“Ma, not the middle name. Don’t be dramatic.”

“I’m not being dramatic. You’re holding out on me.”

“I just wanna eat, ma. Let me eat and then I’ll tell you. Okay?”

“Fine.”

Twenty minutes, an entire rundown and a full stomach later…

“He sounds like a good ol’ southern gentleman. Is he cute?”

“Ma,” Mya grabs her phone off the table and goes to his contact picture. “Cute isn’t an accurate description.”

Sharing the phone, her mother’s brows lift. “Oh, wow. He’s one beautiful man.”

“I know!” She agrees with her eyes closed, making her laugh.

“So, you really like this one?”

“I’m starting to, yeah! Besides him being pretty, he’s such a sweetheart and he’s a computer nerd like myself. What more could a girl ask for?”

“Babies.” She answers.

Mya almost chokes on air.

“Huh?!”

“What?? I’m not getting any younger.. neither are you.”

“I’m only twenty-seven. I’ve got time, and your first candidate for me shouldn’t be a man that I’ve only known for about a month! Relax a little, please.”

“Is he going to the seminar, as well?” She asks, completely ignoring her daughter.

“Yes.” She purses her lips together, not letting it slip that he was also invited to the Gold Ball, knowing her mother would just get amped up all over again.

“Well, you’ll have some eye candy while you listen to those white people tell you about success.” She snorts.

“And you said my father was harsh on white people,” Mya laughs. “I think you took it over, ma.”

“Your father is a fool.”

“That’s a conversation for another day.”

☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.☆:☆: .☽ .☆: .☽ · 。ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆

“You guys!”

Taylor kisses Mercedes’ and Mya’s cheek before sitting in the available seat, slinging her jacket over the back of the chair.

“Usually, I’d say you’re being dramatic with the kisses and shit, but it has been a minute.” Mercedes comments, sipping on his long island iced tea.

“It really has! I missed y’all.” Mya chimes in.

“Mhm. You been all hugged up with strong arms. I might even be a little jealous.” Mercedes says, making Mya’s cheeks flush red.

“Jealous? I thought you and Mark were kickin’ it?”

Taylor snorts. “Mark was just that. He couldn’t even protect ya girl!”

“I missed something??” Mya asks, both of them nodding at her, quickly.

“Chy, how ‘bout we went to the movies, last weekend and this big mountain of a man gets in ol’ boy’s face, tryna check him on some I’m more of a man than you are type of shit and Mark just stood there. Now, you know me! I was like you ain’t gon check him?? He lookin’ at me like it was my fault, cause then they start goin’ at it and that big bitch started callin’ me out my name and the motherfucker still just stood there! Lookin’ like he was about to fuckin’ cry. So I left.”

Mya’s jaw was on the floor.

“You gotta be kidding me! Has he tried to contact you?”

“Several times!” Taylor laughs.

“It’s not funny, Tay! That shit was embarrassing.” Mercedes grumbles. “But, yeah, so I’m single again. Maybe, for a while longer cause that was just too much for me.”

“Man, I’m sorry I missed that. I’m sure you could’ve used an extra shoulder to lean on,” Mya frowns. “Maybe, an extra crowbar.” She cracks.

“Girl, you’re fine, I want you to enjoy all you can of ol’ thick neck. When do we officially get to meet him, by the way?”

“As soon as you can call him by his name.”

“We know his name, girl. Mister muscles!”

“You play too damn much, Cedes. But, uh… how about this weekend? We can all go out for drinks or something.” Mya suggests.

“Ooh! There’s a new spot, uptown!” Taylor snaps her fingers, trying to pull the name of the place out of thin air, “Flavor! It’s so cute. They got great food, an open bar,” she nudges Mercedes, “and a lil common area, if you wanna dance a little.”

“Sounds like the spot!”

“I’m down.”

“What time? Seven sound good?” Mya asks.

“Yeah, that should be fine.”

“I’m so excited to harass your man.” Mercedes rubs her hands together like Birdman.

“Two things. One, he’s not my man,”

“Yet,” they both chime in, cracking up.

“And, two!! Don’t embarrass me, please.”

“We would never,” Taylor smiles.

“Oh, boy.” She shakes her head.

“No, but seriously, how are things with him?”

“He’s so dreamy, you guys.” She gushes. “These last few weeks have been some of the best. We just sit and talk or we’ll go dancing or we’ll take a walk in the park or we go out to eat— did I mention that he’s fine!?”

“We’ve seen his hunky ass, girl!” Taylor nods. “That’s so cute! You deserve it, honestly.”

“Yeah, those duds you were runnin’ with, back in the day couldn’t even hold a candle to Isaiah.” She smirks.

“It’s so refreshing to hear you not call him swole arms.” She playfully rolls her eyes. “And thanks, girl. Them whores weren’t good for anything besides a dick drop off.” The trio crack up.

“Hell, at least they could do that right!”

“That, they did.” She snorts, the memories flooding back to her brain, making her shiver a little. “Whew!”

“You stupid, man.” Mercedes pokes her in her side. “But, you just tell swole arms that we don’t play bout our Mya paya, okay?”

“Got it.”

☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.☆:☆: .☽ .☆: .☽ · 。ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆

Sitting across from one another in the dimly lit ice cream shoppe, the pair share a double scoop of vanilla and good conversation.

“They’re gonna tear me up, aren’t they?” He asks.

“I told them to behave, but Mercedes takes that as a challenge.” She shakes her head, eating a spoonful.

He laughs.

“Well, they’re just making sure you’re in good hands.”

“And, am I in good hands?” She questions.

“Like Allstate.” He says, making her giggle.

“I knew it was corny, but I like making you laugh.” He smiles.

“It was cute,” she laughs, eating another spoonful. “Like you.”

“Damn, that’s a bump down from pretty.” He frowns, pretends to be hurt.

“Aw,” she sits her spoon down and rubs the back of his hand. “You are pretty, 'saiah!”

“Mhm.” He plays with her fingers. “Not as pretty as you.”

“I don’t know,” their fingers intertwine, “I think you have me beat.”

“No, no. I’m only this pretty with some scruff on my face. You’d change your mind if you saw me without it.”

“Shut up,” she laughs, “you mean your beard?”

“It barely qualifies, since it's growing back in.”

“C’mere lemme get a better look.” She motions him towards her, so she can take a closer look at his handsome face.

She chances, softly gripping his chin, and turning his face in her hand to better inspect him.

“Looks good to me.”

“Yeah? Come a little closer.”

She obliges, chewing on her lip. Their faces are just a few inches away from each other. Squinting, she nods, grazing his “scruff” with her thumb.

“Still looks good to me.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,”

Grasping her chin with his free hand, he closes the space between them, kissing her like he’d been wanting to all day.

Melting into the kiss, their lips mold together as if they were long lost lovers.

Pulling away, he licks his lips. His hand still cupping her chin, her eyes reopening to find him already looking at her.

It was her turn to be flustered.

“What was that for?”

“I’ve wanted to all day. Thought it was the right time.”

“Hm… your timing is impeccable.”

“Yeah?” His brows raise.

“Mhm.” She smirks.

“Another pat on the back for me?”

“Shut up,” she laughs.

☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.☆:☆: .☽ .☆: .☽ · 。ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆

Sprawled out on his couch, the pair sit up under one another, watching a movie.

“Are you comfortable?” He asks, his hand is at the base of her neck, strumming soothing circles with his fingertips. She’s nestled comfortably between his legs while his heartbeat drums a lullaby against her ear.

“This TV’s gonna be watching me in a minute,” she says, her eyes getting lower and lower. His low chuckle vibrates through her before she continues. “I saw my mama today, by the way. We talked about you.”

His ears perk up at the new information.

“Oh did you, now? What y’all say?”

“Said you're cute, you better treat me right and then something about grandchildren.” The end makes Isaiah sputter out a cough, and she barely conceals her laughter. “I’m not sure, I kinda tuned her out at that point.”

“Well, she doesn't have to worry about me treating you right, I'd be an idiot not to,” he says, tickling her neck, making her immediately scrunch up.

“Stop!,” she squeals, reaching back to smack his hand, “she also said she’d like to meet you. I politely told her to slow her roll.”

“I don’t know, mama. I think I’d like to meet the lovely woman that raised my favorite girl.” Her cheeks heat up, and she’s grateful she isn’t facing him.

She faux muses for a moment before responding. “Well in that case, I may be able to get something arranged.”

The conversation makes Isaiah aware that he needs to spend some time with his own mother. He makes a mental note to call her come morning.

The rest of their evening is spent with more playful teasing between binging reruns of Living Single.

☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.☆:☆: .☽ .☆: .☽ · 。ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆

Isaiah makes good on his promise to call his mama that following morning as soon as he settled in at work. They made plans to meet up with each other that same day during his lunch break.

“I’ll miss you, swole arms. We’ve been having lunch together for months now.” Mya jokes before they part ways for the hour.

“Wait, what—” he stops mid thought before answering his own question. “Mercedes and Taylor, huh?”

“Mercedes and Taylor,” she confirms with a laugh.

“You know I haven’t officially met those girls, and I don’t think I like ‘em too much,” he teases with a laugh.

“They’re harmless for  the most part. Anyway, have fun with your mama. I know she misses her boy.”

“Thanks, Mya.” He catches her off guard by stealing a quick kiss to her lips while there are no eyes on them. 

By the time she can get her bearings, he’s gone, and she has to flush the blush away from her cheeks before anyone could grill her about it.

A five minute ride later, and Isaiah is seated across from his mother at Lorraine’s, a soul food staple in the neighborhood.

They’re catching up over fried catfish, greens, and yams.

“Honey, I thought the Lord was gonna come down on his gold chariot and snatch us up before I got to see my baby,” she teases.

He can’t help laughing at his mother’s dramatics. “I know it’s been a minute since we’ve seen each other, mama. I’m sorry.” He puts his free hand over hers, having genuinely missed her.

“Oh baby, it’s alright. I know you’re at that big, fancy company living out all your dreams and making your mama proud. I couldn’t ask for more from you.”

Emotions he didn’t plan on feeling on a Friday afternoon caused his throat to become tight. He cleared it, gently squeezing her hand. “Yeah,” he agrees softly, so his voice doesn’t betray him.

“So,” she starts, switching topics, “tell me more about this girl you were going on about earlier. Mya, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He smiles with his whole face.

“Hmm. The way those eyes lit up like Christmas when I said her name just now tells me she’s special, ain’t she?”

“You can definitely say that.”

“Special enough for a couple grandchildren? You know I just hit 35 and the clock ain’t tickin’ backwards.”

He’s so stuck by that “grandchildren” word, he completely misses that she subtracted roughly 15 years from her actual age.

“Boy, close your mouth before you catch a fly. I’m just messing with you. A little bit.”

“Mama, you are entirely too much. Let me get to know her first, maybe learn more than her favorite flower, before you start talking about kids.”

“Fine,” she says, rolling her eyes jokingly. “But tell me what you do know about her.”

“Well,” he takes a moment to gather his thoughts together, “she’s so pretty, mama. I tell her that all the time. Maybe too much, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s really sweet. I mean, give you a cavity kind of sweet,” he pauses, chuckling at how corny that sounded, even to his own ears. “She makes me laugh.”

“Honey, you laugh at everything.” He’s interrupted by his mother’s gentle observation. 

“I know that, lady. But with her, it’s a deep, from the gut kinda laugh, ya know?”

She acknowledges her son with a nod, silently encouraging him to go on.

“And she’s really talented. Like, an out of the box type of talented. And ambitious. Crazy ambitious. All the time, she tells me the things she wants outta life, and I’m watching her get it in real time. I love that.” 

“Well, she’s already a country mile ahead of that last one, I tell ya that. What was her name again, Jezebel?”

He almost loses the sip of lemonade he took.

“It was Janaé, mama.”

“Ain’t that what I said? Anyway, that thang had your nose open like 7/11. I was starting to worry about you, boy.”

“Well, I like to pride myself on making better decisions now, mama.”

“Thank the Lord for small wonders,” she continued to tease him.

“I’m starting to question whether or not you love me, old lady.”

“Oh cut it out. I’m just teasing. You know I love my baby,” she says while pinching his cheek.

“Come on now, ma.” He gently removes her hand from his face, chuckling.

She sighs, looking at how happy her son looked at the moment. She debates whether or not she should relay the piece of information that could prove devastating for his progress.

“What’s on your mind, mama?” he asks before she can decide.

“ I wanna talk to you about something.”

“Is everything okay?” He sits up in his seat, concern already etching its way into his features.

“Everything’s fine. Don’t you worry.” She takes a moment to carefully choose her words. “It’s about your father.”

As soon as the sentence leaves her lips, all trace of emotion falls from his face as he sits back and downs the last of his drink.

“Hm. He finally die?” he asks coolly.

She knows she shouldn’t have been taken aback by such a response, but she found the sharp turn of his mood to be slightly jarring, even now.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Evil never really does die, I guess,” he says with a shrug.

“So what is it?” His gaze stays focused on the view outside of the large window, a technique learned in therapy to keep himself grounded.

“He’s been asking about you. Asking to see you. I wanted to give you a head’s up beforehand.”

“A head’s up?” he bites back a laugh. “I'm not gonna kill the man.”

Not that he’s never considered it.

March-ish, 2006, Dallas

A fourteen-year-old Isaiah polishes off the last of his breakfast, placing his dishes in the sink before heading off to Lincoln Jr. High. His mother isn’t there to see him off once again, having had to work her fourth double this week at Halifax Memorial Hospital, while his father had never seen him off, not once.

Third period English rolls around, and he receives a recent term paper face down. A big, red D is at the top right hand corner with a note saying “See me after class”. He sighs, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.

The bell rings, and his classmates file out, but he lags behind.

“Come sit down.” Miss Braxton motions to the empty seat nearest her desk.

He follows her instruction and plops down into the seat.

“Care to explain this unfocused, uninspired, half-attempt of an essay you decided to turn in?” she says while looking over the rim of her glasses.

He replies with a shrug of his shoulders and a barely audible “I don’t know.”

“Listen, I expect this kind of work from some of my students, but not you, Isaiah. I’ve seen what you’re capable of, and this,” she picks up the paper, waving it slightly for emphasis before continuing, “is nowhere near close. Remember, I’ve been your teacher since you were little, in the first grade always asking me for a new book to read. I see you doing big things and this lackadaisical attitude you’ve taken on isn’t going to get you there.”

A silence falls over the room as her words take a moment to run through his head.

“Um, imma be late for fourth period, so I gotta go,” he says, wanting to run far away from this conversation.

“You’re free to go. Don’t forget what I’ve said, okay?”

He nods, booking it for the door.

Harshly, he wipes at the tears just making their way down his face. He curses himself for his feelings.

“Well, if it ain’t my favorite punk ass bitch. Doing what he does best. Fuckin’ cryin’.” He’s greeted by the school bully, Darius, a thorn in his side for almost a year now.

“Your daddy ain’t teach you how to be a man yet? Oh I forgot, you don’t even know who the fuck he is. Just you and your mama. I see why you’re such a bitch.”

“Darius, don’t fuck with me today,” he warns, trying to get past the boy.

“Or what?? You gon’ run and tell mommy on me? I’m so scared. Fuck outta here,” the bully retorts, blocking his path and pushing the smaller boy in the center of his chest.

Without much thought, Isaiah cocks his hand back and clocks Darius directly in his eye. The blows don’t stop once he’s down though. He continues to rain blow after blow to his face while he’s crouched over his fallen form shouting profanities the entire while.

It takes two grown male teachers to finally pry him off the boy. He needs to be damn near dragged to the principal’s office.

His mother is less than pleased when she’s called out of work due to her son practically mauling the school bully.

Little did she know, that was only the beginning…

He sighs, coming back to the present moment.

“I didn’t think you would, son. I just thought it might be helpful to know,” she responds, to which he simply nods.

“Listen, whatever you decide to do, baby, mama’s got your back.” 

She places her hand over his and squeezes, which causes him to look back at her. He softens immediately, seeing his mother’s eyes shine with nothing but love and concern for him.

“I know.”

“Good.”

He uses the drive back to the office to compose himself into the man that his coworkers recognize.

Mya notices something off when he walks back into the office. To the untrained eye, he looks fine, but there’s a look in eye that she can name, being all too familiar with it herself.

After a meeting she could barely pay attention to,  she’s at the end of her workday, still consumed by what could be wrong with her normally cheerful coworker.

Deciding not to press him about it, she instead extends an offer to spend the evening with her.

“Hey,” she gently catches his attention as he’s walking toward the large, glass double doors.

He turns, giving her a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey Mya. What’s up?”

She shifts her weight, almost feeling nervous. 

“Yeah, I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to come over to my house...if you could use the company. I know I could.”

He doesn’t answer right away, and she feels her heart start to sink. 

Seconds later, though, she’s gifted a smile much more genuine than earlier and she visibly relaxes.

“I’d love that.”

Extending his arm to her, she accepts, linking them together as they walk out of the building.

 A smooth playlist curated by Mya plays in the background as the pair lounges on her porch swing.

She’s upright while Isaiah's head is in her lap.

There are no words spoken between the two of them, but the silence is comfortable. 

She uses her slippered foot to softly rock them.

His eyes are closed while she runs her fingers through his soft coils.

Her gaze, however, is focused on the group of little brown girls across the street who are out playing jump rope.

The clack of their beaded hair, coupled with their laughter brings about a feeling of warmth.

“What is it that makes a man not want to be a father?”

Her eyes darted down toward the man in her lap, whose eyes are still closed.

Her fingers continue their relaxing pattern across his scalp, unsure of how to answer that.

He continues, “It’s like they don’t know or don’t fuckin’ care about the broken pieces they leave behind when they do that. And you know what the cold part about it is?”

She remains silent, knowing the answer is coming.

“He’s not even responsible for fixing the shit. Making sure I never turned out like him was 100 percent up to me. Tell me that’s not fucked up.”

He goes quiet for a moment, but she doesn’t feel compelled to break it.

She’s stunned by this new piece of him that he’s shared with her with no provocation from her.

“My father wants to see me. Wants to talk,” he finally reveals after several more moments of silence.

“How do you feel about it?” She asks cautiously.

There’s a pause before he responds, “I don’t know.”

“Well… until you know how you feel about it, I wouldn't make any final decisions. Process it first, you know?”

A sort of huffing sigh leaves him, before silence takes back over.

The slight, late October breeze blows over them, lightly tousling her hair across her face.

She removes the random strands, still maintaining her rocking with her foot.

“How would you handle this situation?” Isaiah asks, his eyes now open and looking up at her.

Not answering right away, her rocking stops. Instead it turns into a steady bounce with the opposite foot, as she tries to conjure up words for a moment such as that.

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to my father in years. Guess I’d have to process it, too.” She laughs, but it’s far from humorous.

Her eyes stay trained on the pastel numbered boxes from the hopscotch game the girls had played earlier, keeping her emotions at bay.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make this about me.”

“You didn’t. It’s okay.” He sits up, his softened gaze on her reddened face.

“I guess we’re more alike than we realized.” He offers a laugh, which she returns. Yet, her slight frown gives her away.

“I’m sorry you have to go through this. It ain’t right.” She shakes her head.

“It’s not your fault, don’t be sorry. I’m just glad you listened. That was tough to share.”

“I understand.” She finally looks in his direction.

The lingering emptiness in their eyes mirror one another, making them feel far too vulnerable.

“Can I take you up on that hot toddy you were talking about?” He asks.

She laughs, holding out her hand for him to take.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

[purebbyfawn]

stay all night, stay a little longer …♡